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Just Creating a Buzz; Respectfully Disagree

Hear Me Now, VW

So people have always wanted VW camper vans, especially 4x4 versions. So why hasn’t VW listened and made one again? Now they come out with an all-electric version. How far off the grid can you actually get? Not far enough in my book.

~ Dick White, Tahoma, via Facebook

Grammar Moment

The story says that author Rachael Blum is “often found... laying in the sun.” What is she found laying in the sun? Lay is a transitive verb and requires an object, except when it is used as the past tense of lie, e.g., she lay in the sun for hours yesterday. Laid is the past tense of the transitive verb lay, e.g., she laid her blanket down on the sand.

It gets complicated! It’s a matter of grammatical construction. Lay is used incorrectly everywhere lately and has become my pet peeve. Please don’t let it happen in your wonderful publication.

The Best Disinfectant

As the saying goes, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” Thank you Moonshine for upholding the true responsibilities of news-gathering entities, exposing as much information as possible, and letting the consumers make up their own minds. Let this be a lesson to Wirth to be more candid and responsive when asked for information on a topic relevant to him.

~ Douglas Rhiner, Marin County, via online

Not How I Read It

I understand that the emotions and opinions are bound to be different inside the organization and among friends, but I don’t believe that is reason enough to withhold the accident reporting from the public. Mr. Wirth — the public would be very interested in any substantive corrections you have to add, but you’ve failed to provide any such information here.

~ TruckeeCS, via online

Don’t Appeal

Appealing the Cal/OSHA fine does way more to dishonor the tragedy than an investigative report will ever do.

~ Steve Francis, via Facebook

Line of Sight

One of the fines is for no direct line of sight between patrollers, and Wirth is arguing that he shouldn’t be fined because “We don’t know what happened.” Um yeah, that’s what the line of sight would have helped.

~ Adam Garon, Incline Village, via Facebook

Just Creating a Buzz

As usual, the truth is somewhere in between. I am not going to comment on Squaw because I expect a ski resort to spin the story as suits its business. But a journalist source (I’m not sure why Moonshine objects to the term “newspaper”) should be fair and unbiased and Moonshine, you simply were not. I’m not saying this was fake news but you spun the headline to create a buzz. In your more recent article about this controversy, you state, “The report said the violations were unrelated to the accident.” You never said this in the original article and you have to be willfully ignoring your own press to think that the headline and first paragraphs of your story did not create the impression of a link between the violations and the accident. Shame on you.

~ Bob Rowen, Victor, Idaho via Facebook

Respectfully Disagree

Agreed, Bob, that the truth is more fluid than most people believe. We want to clarify that we did not object to be called a newspaper, but to being called a newspaper in quotes — the equivalent of air quotes, which indicate that what is being said is ironic or mocking. We appreciate your comment on the headline, which was not intentionally meant to “create a buzz,” but seeing it through a different lens, we see how some might take it that way and have learned from this episode. However, contrary to what you assert, the original article states twice that the cause of the accident was still unknown. We respectfully disagree that the first paragraph creates an unfounded impression that there is a link between the accident and the violations; instead, it states that these violations were found during the investigation of the accident, which is accurate.

~ Moonshine Ink, via Facebook

South Dakotan Journalist on Moonshine

Dear Mayumi “Mongolia” Elegado, Just received my first copy of Moonshine Ink in the U.S. mail. Love It! Have read issues online before, but your baby is much cooler in print. Now I see why you keep winning all of those National Newspaper Association awards. As a fellow community journalist, I am inclined to “borrow” some of your creative ideas. Priceless, indeed. ; )

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About Opinion

The Opinion Page is your place to spout off. This section contains letters to the editor and longer My Shot pieces. Also, the Spout features two bimonthly perspectives — In the Past, delving into Tahoe Truckee history, and In the Moment, an artistic musing of a moment today.